Gadwall
Mareca strepera
Aves
COMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- 10-16 yrs
- Size
- Medium
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Social
- Flock
- Biome
- Freshwater wetland
- Range
- North America
- Movement
- Flight
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Speed
- Status
- Common
About
A modestly patterned dabbling duck often overlooked next to flashier waterfowl, the Gadwall male has a subtle intricate scaling of gray and brown across its body and a distinctive black rear end. Gadwalls are notable for often stealing food that diving ducks and coots bring up from underwater.
Life cycle
- 1.eggA clutch of eggs rests in a down-lined nest near water, covered and warmed by the brooding female.
- 2.hatchlingA downy hatchling follows its mother to the water within hours and feeds itself almost immediately.
- 3.juvenileA juvenile grows its first true feathers, swimming in the family group and learning to dabble or dive.
- 4.adultFully grown with adult plumage.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Anseriformes
- Family
- Anatidae
- Genus
- Mareca
- Species
- Mareca strepera